G. Pat Macha - Historic Aircraft Wrecks of Los Angeles County

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2014 by G. Pat Macha

All rights reserved

Cover image: Western Air Express Boeing 247D on Pinetos Peak, January 12, 1937, courtesy of D.D. Hatfield Collection.

First published 2014

e-book edition 2014

ISBN 978.1.62585.113.0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014953185

print edition ISBN 978.1.62619.583.7

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

To those who lost their lives while in military service on behalf of our nation, and to honor those who were aerial first responders lost on search and rescue, firefighting and law enforcement missions in Los Angeles County, California.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Pat Machaauthor of this book and a companion volume, Historic Aircraft Wrecks of San Bernardino Countyis a widely respected specialist in California aviation accident history. A retired high school history teacher, Pat is not only the author of five books about aircraft accidents but also a highly sought-after public speaker on the subject of military, commercial and private airplane crashes in the mountains, deserts and seashores of California. His knowledge of this subject is extensive, spanning more than a half century of research and crash site investigations.

As Pat points out in story after story, the causes of airplane accidents can be attributed to a combination of factors, including human, mechanical and structural failures, as well as weather. While it is possible to read about tragic aircraft accidents from the comfort of your armchair and forget they involve real people, thats not so when you read accounts by Pat Macha.

As he emphasizes, these accidents had profound effects on families, parents, siblings and friends. Pats breadth of knowledge on the details of aviation accidentswhen, where and why they occurredis only exceeded by his depth of compassion for families who must live with the loss or injury of loved ones.

In a nation that is largely unaware of its aviation history, Pat Machas books help his readers begin to comprehend the heartrending loses and sacrifices made by the men and women serving in our nations armed forces, as well as the heroic contributions of our aerial first responders in law enforcement, forest service and military.

This book and his Project Remembrance missions testify to Pats dedicated efforts on behalf of aviation history and of bereaved next of kin.

PETER STEKEL

Author, Final Flight: The Mystery of a WWII Plane Crash and the Frozen Airmen in the High Sierra

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of many individuals and organizations. They are listed in chronological order, starting when I began researching and documenting aircraft crash sites in Los Angeles County.

196573: Fred Beam, Civil Aeronautics Board, Accident Investigator, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Aero Squadron captain Sewell Griggers (RIP); his brother, Lyndell Griggers (RIP); and Civil Air Patrol Squadron 35 members Pat Quinn and Scotty MacGregor, who flew me over many crash sites that I would never found otherwise. I am indebted to United States Forest Service ranger Mike Alt and my longtime hiking partners, brother Chris and sister Cindy Macha. Since 1967, brothers-in-law Bill, Donald, Bob and Herb Lank have been stalwart companions. Aviation historian David D. Hatfield for providing many rare photographs, Don Young and Hawthorne High students Kirk McKewon and Raymond Nelson.

197484: Robert Bob Koch, USAF; Major C.L. Burrell and Wyn Selwin, both of Civil Air Patrol fame; Jon K. Lawson; David Chichester; Harry Krig, USAF (Ret.); Captain Paul Stebelton, USAF and FAA (Ret.); Michael J. McIntyre; Don Mitchell; David W. Bryan; Greg Gilger; and the Catalina Island Conservancy for facilitating crash site visitations.

198595: Bob Bhrule, Civil Air Patrol; Rich Allison (RIP); Francis S. Yarnell; the X-Hunters, Peter Merlin and Tony Moore; Jim Rowan; Joel Bishop; Ben Giebeler (RIP); John Zimmerman; Robert Gates; and Elgin F. Butch Gates (RIP), former San Bernardino County sheriffs deputy, who was enthralled by the Mojaves history and its beauty. His newspaper research provided much help regarding aircraft accident stories and histories. Jack Farley Jr., Los Angeles County park ranger, was our guide to the C-119G and C-46A sites on Pallet Mountain.

19962014: Joel Bishop; Don Jordan; Roy Wolford (RIP); Tom Gossett (RIP); Bill Gossett; Captain Alan Dow, Civil Air Patrol; Greg Chrisman; Nick Veronico; Trey Brandt; Chris Killian; Marc McDonald; Lewis Shorb; and Jeff Corder, an inspiration regarding next-of-kin issues. Also Project Remembrance Team members Chris LeFave; Ryan Gilmore; Thomas Maloney; David Mihalik; Dennis Richardson; David Lane; Bruce Guberman; Rick Baldridge; Jana Churchwell; Tony Accurso and his daughter, Evelyn; Walt Witherspoon; and Dan and Leslie Catalano. Fellow authors Eric Blehm and Milo Peltzer have encouraged me to pursue my goal of writing this book. Craig Fuller, founder of Aviation Archaeological Investigation & Research (AAIR) and provider of countless accident reports and photos. George Petterson, National Transportation Safety Board investigator (Ret.), master pilot and aviation safety educator, without whose insights and help I would never have had the aerial perspective of numerous crash sites in the San Gabriel Mountains from his beloved Super Cub. Special thanks to William T. Larkins, author and founder of the American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS), who supplied many historic photos used in this edition; to AAHS director Paul Butler for his many hours of help; and to Jeri Bergen, current AAHS president. Special thanks to Ron Funk, webmaster for www.aircraftwrecks.com, who was responsible for scanning and resizing all images used in this book. Also Rudy Loftin, UAL captain (Ret.); San Bernardino County Coroner divers David Van Norman and John Croaker; Jim Blunt; Steve Lawson; Jon Jolly (RIP); and Gary Fabian and his UB88.org team members Captain Kyaa Day Heller, Kendal Raine, John Walker and Captain Ray Arntz, all of whom played key roles during the search effort for Gertrude Tompkins-Silver and in the discovery of the T-33A missing since 1955. The Ken and Laura Whittal-Scherfee family, the Tom Theiler family, the Theresa Theiler Morton family, Gene Ralston, Mike Pizzio, Chris Killian, Colleen Keller and other members of the Missing Aircraft Search Team (MAST) who participated in the last major Santa Monica Bay search effort. Tom Maloney and Dave Mihalik for hundreds of hours of newspaper research assistance. Jerry Boal for sharing his expertise on all things photo related. Jerry Roberts, my commissioning editor for The History Press, for his help and encouragement in completing this book project. Finally, I acknowledge my editor and wife, Mary Jane Macha, without whose tireless help this book would not have been completed on time.

I thank my family for encouraging and supporting my avocation and for joining me in fifty-one years of hiking and searching, sometimes risking life and limb in the process. I salute my parents, Charles F. and Mary Francis Macha (RIP). My father served in the Thirteenth Airborne Division, Eighty-eighth Glider Infantry Regiment during World War II, and his aerospace career with Douglas, Lockheed and North American Aviation/Rockwell/Boeing spanned forty years. From him I learned about aircraft structure and prefix numbers, not to mention a love of everything aerospace history related. My younger brother, Chris, and my sister, Cindy, started hiking with me in the 1960s. Mary Jane, my wife of forty-seven years, has been on the trail with me since we starting dating in 1966. Our son, Patric Joseph, and daughter, Heather Maureen, along with their respective families, have all participated in visiting crash sites in Los Angeles County and beyond. Our favorite place to drive-in camp is Guffy Campground. At 8,300 feet, this beautiful campground is located just six miles off Highway 2, near the mountain community of Wrightwood in the San Gabriel Mountains. On a clear day, visitors can take in the entire expanse of Los Angeles County from this unique outpost in the sky.